https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Kebnekaise's southern peak is continuing to melt, according to this year's official measurement. https://www.thelocal.com/20260917/swedens-southern-kebnekaise-peak-shrinks-further-as-glacier-melt-continues Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:38:59 +0200 swedens-southern-kebnekaise-peak-shrinks-further-as-glacier-melt-continues Widespread drought and record-breaking heatwaves have forced France to relax some of its famously strict rules on cheese production, with authorities announcing on Wednesday special measures for abondance, beaufort and comté. https://www.thelocal.com/20260826/france-to-relax-cheese-making-rules-due-to-record-heatwaves-and-drought Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:11:48 +0200 france-to-relax-cheese-making-rules-due-to-record-heatwaves-and-drought France on Wednesday recorded a more than 20 percent shortfall in nuclear power production capacity, a record deficit caused by environmentally related outages linked to drought, extreme heat and a jellyfish invasion. https://www.thelocal.com/20260812/extreme-weather-and-jellyfish-knock-one-fifth-of-frances-nuclear-capacity-offline Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:10:32 +0200 extreme-weather-and-jellyfish-knock-one-fifth-of-frances-nuclear-capacity-offline The vineyards of Bordeaux escaped the huge wildfires in the region, but the smoke has blown over a large area - so will this affect the taste of 2026 vintages? https://www.thelocal.com/20260805/factcheck-will-this-years-french-wines-really-taste-smokey Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:58:08 +0200 factcheck-will-this-years-french-wines-really-taste-smokey Two thirds of départements in France are suffering such severe drought that 'crisis' level water restrictions have been imposed. From gardens to swimming pools and drinking water - here's what those restrictions mean for households. https://www.thelocal.com/20260804/crisis-level-water-restrictions-imposed-in-60-of-french-departements Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:19:45 +0200 crisis-level-water-restrictions-imposed-in-60-of-french-departements There's less than a week left until the highly anticipated total solar eclipse in Spain. We've got all the info you need to prepare for this unique event on August 12th, from the likelihood of clear skies in your area to apps to find the best viewing location. https://www.thelocal.com/20260807/qa-everything-you-need-to-prepare-for-the-total-solar-eclipse-in-spain Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:48:27 +0200 qa-everything-you-need-to-prepare-for-the-total-solar-eclipse-in-spain Without natural drinking water, residents of Italy's Aeolian Islands are mulling whether to build more desalination plants that will also cater to the large number of tourists, or continue bringing in water by ship. https://www.thelocal.com/20260713/almost-like-gold-water-debate-rages-on-italys-aeolian-islands Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:55:08 +0200 almost-like-gold-water-debate-rages-on-italys-aeolian-islands France's heatwaves always spark debates on air conditioning - which much of the country remains deeply resistant to. Some argue that warming temperatures make widespread AC inevitable, but The Local's editor Emma Pearson explains why she thinks the French are right to resist. https://www.thelocal.com/20250707/opinion-the-french-are-right-to-shun-air-conditioning-even-during-heatwaves Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:31:35 +0200 opinion-the-french-are-right-to-shun-air-conditioning-even-during-heatwaves The vast majority of Europe's beaches offer "excellent" water quality for swimming, the EU environment agency said on Tuesday ahead of the summer season, with coastal nations and inland Austria topping the list. https://www.thelocal.com/20260616/most-beaches-in-europe-offer-excellent-water-quality-study-says Tue, 16 Jun 2026 16:22:00 +0200 most-beaches-in-europe-offer-excellent-water-quality-study-says After standardising chargers for mobile phones, from Tuesday new computers sold in EU countries must also use the USB-C charging point, as the latest phase of EU anti-waste legislation comes into force. https://www.thelocal.com/20260428/eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:16:33 +0200 eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers Environmental pollution is linked to several mental health disorders in Europe, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has warned, arguing that enforcing legislation would result in Europeans being both less depressed and less anxious. https://www.thelocal.com/20260305/pollution-exposure-in-europe-linked-to-mental-health-problems Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:10:55 +0100 pollution-exposure-in-europe-linked-to-mental-health-problems Three skiers - two of whom were British - died after an avalanche in the French Alps on Friday, bringing the death toll from avalanches in France since the start of the season to 25. https://www.thelocal.com/20260213/three-dead-after-avalanche-in-french-alps Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:07:42 +0100 three-dead-after-avalanche-in-french-alps Norway came close to its objective of selling only zero-emission cars in 2025, with electric vehicles accounting for 95.9 percent of new registrations. https://www.thelocal.com/20260102/norway-closes-in-on-goal-of-100-percent-electric-car-sales Fri, 02 Jan 2026 12:34:22 +0100 norway-closes-in-on-goal-of-100-percent-electric-car-sales Norway owes its massive wealth to oil, but reserves are declining. As part of the 2026 budget settlement, the country is to set up a commission to study potential scenarios for the country's post-oil economy. https://www.thelocal.com/20251204/what-does-norways-2026-budget-mean-for-countrys-oil-industry Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:18:15 +0100 what-does-norways-2026-budget-mean-for-countrys-oil-industry This year's punishing back-to-back heatwaves and ferocious wildfires in France were a "taste of what's to come", as climate change pushed summer temperatures to near record highs, the country's environment minister warned on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.com/20250902/extreme-summer-heat-of-2025-is-turning-point-says-french-minister Tue, 02 Sep 2025 15:15:56 +0200 extreme-summer-heat-of-2025-is-turning-point-says-french-minister In a small town in the south of France, residents have become used to sharing their space with the local wild goat population - but things are now getting increasingly strained as the goat population has reached around 2,000. https://www.thelocal.com/20250825/video-thousands-of-feral-goats-invade-town-in-south-of-france Mon, 25 Aug 2025 12:14:17 +0200 video-thousands-of-feral-goats-invade-town-in-south-of-france The three new bathing spots in the River Seine have proved popular with Paris tourists and locals alike this summer - but Emma Pearson argues that they represent much more than just a pleasant place to cool off on a hot day. https://www.thelocal.com/20250813/opinion-seine-swimming-is-part-of-a-quiet-revolution-in-paris Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:45:32 +0200 opinion-seine-swimming-is-part-of-a-quiet-revolution-in-paris Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has slammed the fact that budget flights between destinations in Europe are still often significantly cheaper than travelling by train. https://www.thelocal.com/20250822/unfair-budget-flights-in-europe-up-to-26-times-cheaper-than-train-routes Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:32:46 +0200 unfair-budget-flights-in-europe-up-to-26-times-cheaper-than-train-routes Wildfires have so far ravaged more than one million hectares of land in European Union countries this year, a record since recording began in 2006, according to AFP analysis of official data. https://www.thelocal.com/20250822/record-eu-wildfires-burnt-more-than-1mn-hectares-in-2025 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:56:46 +0200 record-eu-wildfires-burnt-more-than-1mn-hectares-in-2025 Greta Thunberg and more than 100 more climate activists blocked Oslo's main avenue and a bank branch on Thursday to demand Norway shutter its oil industry, police and organisers said. https://www.thelocal.com/20250821/greta-thunberg-and-other-activists-block-oslo-main-street-in-oil-protest Thu, 21 Aug 2025 17:25:08 +0200 greta-thunberg-and-other-activists-block-oslo-main-street-in-oil-protest